Paris: Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has criticized France for arresting and charging him last month over the alleged publication of extremist and illegal content on the messaging app.
In his first comments since his arrest, Durov expressed surprise at being held accountable for content created by others. “Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach,” he said in a detailed post on Telegram.
Durov also refuted claims that Telegram is an “anarchic paradise”, asserting that the platform actively removes millions of harmful posts and channels daily. He denied accusations from French authorities that Telegram had ignored their requests, stating he had personally assisted in establishing a hotline with French officials to address terrorism threats.
Addressing Growing Pains
Durov acknowledged that Telegram’s rapid growth, now at 950 million users globally, has led to “growing pains” that have made the platform vulnerable to criminal abuse. “That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard,” he said, promising that improvements are underway and more details will be shared soon.
He expressed hope that the recent events would lead to a safer and stronger Telegram and social networking industry. Durov also mentioned that if Telegram cannot find the “right balance between privacy and security” with local regulators, the company is prepared to exit that market.
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Durov, 39, was charged following a four-day detention in France on multiple counts related to failing to control extremist content. He received support from tech mogul Elon Musk, who advocated for his release under the hashtag #FreePavel.
Arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport near Paris after arriving on a private jet, Durov was questioned over subsequent days and granted conditional release on a €5 million ($5.5 million) bail. He is required to report to a police station twice weekly and remain in France.
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An elusive public figure, Durov holds citizenship in Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is headquartered. Forbes estimates his fortune at $15.5 billion, though he publicly embraces an ascetic lifestyle, including ice baths and abstaining from alcohol and coffee.
